France’s Macron says arrest of the head of the Telegram messaging app wasn’t political

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron says the arrest in France of the CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, wasn’t a political move but part of an independent investigation. In France’s first public comment on the arrest, Macron posted on the social media platform X on Monday that his country “is deeply committed” to freedom of expression but “freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights.” French media reported that Durov was detained at a Paris airport Saturday on an arrest warrant alleging his platform has been used for money laundering, drug trafficking and other offenses.